Shorfiul Islam finished with his best bowling figure in ODIs that helped Bangladesh to avoid a clen sweep against Afghanistan as they registered a commanding 7-wicket victory in third and final one-day international at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chattogram on Tuesday.
The 22-year-old left arm pacer who snared his early career best with 4-34 against the host West Indies in last year, bagged 4-21 over the visiting Afghans.
Aside from him, Taskin Ahmed, Taijul Islam claimed two each and Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Shakib Al Hasan took rest of the two wickets to all-out Afghanistan for a sorry 126 in 45.2 overs thanks to Azmatullah Omarzai’s lone battle to score 56 off 71.
In reply, Bangladesh reached the target, 129-3, in 23.3 overs with 159 balls to spare, courtesy of Liton Das’ tenth ODI fifty [unbeaten 53] and Shakib Al Hasan’ 39.
Towhid Hridoy also stood on 19 off 18 balls.
With Bangladesh needing a meagre total the home side made a shaky start as they lost Mohammad Naim and Najmul Hossain Shanto for a duck and 11 runs inside seven overs.
Naim who got out for 9 by Fazalhaq Farooqi in the second was also dismissed by the same bowler in third over.
Shanto and Liton shared a 26 0ff 28 ball stand in the second wicket to curb the early damages, however, were unable to go further after Fazalhaq clattered his stumps for 11.
Shakib Al Hasan then formed a run-a-ball 61 run partnership to take the Tigers close to the hundred run threshold before he gave a catch to Hashmatuallah Shahidi behind the stumps leaving the hosts at 89-3.
The rest was done by Liton and Towhid who added 40 runs in the next stand to land the Tigers the shores of victory.
Sent to ball, Shoriful struck twice in his first over with Ibrahim Zadran, the centurion of the previous match and Rahmat Shah edging behind the wicket, failing to deal with swing.
Taskin Ahmed then joined the party, scalping the big fight Rahmanullah Gurbaz who blasted 145 in the second game to script a crushing 142-run win over for the side.
Taskin undid him with a short ball after he scored just 6. But there was no respite for Afghans as Shoriful left them 15-4 in ninth over, dismissing Mohammad Nabi [1].
Spinners then got into act with left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan trapping Najibullah Zadran leg before [10] before Taijul Islam spun one past Hashmatullah Shahidi viciously.
Omarzai resisted amid Bangladesh bowlers fiery bowling. He shared a 36-run stand with Mujeeb-ur-Rahman for the ninth wicket, the highest in Afghanistan innings to propel the side past 100.
Omarzai was the last batter out when he top-edged a slower delivery of Taskin at long-on.
